While the U.S. Postal Service may be dealing with decreased envelopes in the mail, other shipping operations like UPS or FedEx are experiencing an influx thanks to the modern miracle of online shipping. In fact, postal service figures show that the total volume of packages in the mail has been on a steady increase since 2008. At that time, the USPS alone shipped 3.3 billion packages. In 2016, the most recent year where the postal service has figures available for, the total had jumped to 5.2 billion. It’s safe to say that this figure will remain where it is or increase as more consumers shop online or order products from companies like Amazon. The former point poses an interesting consideration for businesses of any size that are willing to transform the way items enter the mail. We’re talking about product packaging design and as you’ll see, this service can literally transform the orders you send out.

There are plenty of great reasons to invest in one-of-a-kind boxes created through product packaging design. For starters, your business frees up valuable real estate inside your shipping warehouse. Cardboard boxes – even flattened stockpiles – take up space. By installing a machine that aids in product packaging design, you can get rid of your burdensome collection of boxes of various sizes. This is because you’ll now be able to create containers that fit every order no matter the size or shape. When a customer receives a better-fitting box contained undamaged contents, your brand’s reputation goes up, too. One of the more interesting perks of product packaging design, however, is the fact that the artistic elements of the box are entirely up to you. Want to plaster the corrugated cardboard material with your company’s logo? You’re free to do that. You can also advertise the fact that a smaller, better-fitting box is more environmentally-conscious and often eliminates the need for “packing peanuts” or “bubble wrap.”

Businesses that invest in emerging technology will be ahead of the curve when outdated processes – such as having a room full of assorted cardboard boxes – are finally phased out. According to Business Insider, other innovative ideas on the shipping sector include outsourcing order management services, inventory storage, order processing and automated order notification. While adoption of some of the above ideas is at the discretion of owners and operators of small to medium-sized businesses, it’s certain that product packaging design offers at the very least a way to ensure safe shipping through smart processes.